Bedal et al. (2007) document clear seismic destruction in Phase V of the Pool Complex, characterized by extensive architectural collapse and rubble deposition. They report that the architectural elements of the complex suffered severe damage in the mid-4th century CE, most plausibly as a result of the well-documented 363 CE earthquake. The upper courses of the pavilion walls collapsed directly into the pool, producing a dense layer of large stone rubble embedded within a reddish-brown sandy matrix overlying the Phase IV fill in Trench 1. Comparable destruction was observed in the southwest corner, where stones falling from both the South Wall and the Great Temple’s East Perimeter Wall formed a similar collapse layer .

Bedal (2003:79) briefly considered the less likely possibility that the observed destruction resulted from long-term neglect and structural decay rather than seismic forces. However, she ultimately favored a seismic interpretation, noting that while gradual decay could theoretically account for collapse, it is more likely that the island-pavilion “fell victim to the major earthquake of 363 CE,” which caused irreparable damage to many of Petra’s major monuments and widespread destruction throughout the region, as documented by Russell (1980; 1985:42) and Amiran et al. (1994:265). This interpretation is further supported by the presence of late 4th-century CE pottery beneath the destruction debris, which effectively rules out attribution to the much-debated early 2nd-century CE earthquake.

In terms of chronology, Bedal (2003:79) broadly dated the Phase V seismic destruction to the 4th century CE, whereas Bedal et al. (2007) refined this attribution more precisely to the mid-4th century CE. Despite differences in phase labeling between the two publications, both agree that the destruction represents a single, severe seismic event consistent in date, stratigraphic position, and character with the effects of the 363 CE earthquake at Petra.